Teenager accused of throwing rocks at cars on the Kwinana Freeway handed bail

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A teenager accused of throwing rocks at more than a dozen cars on the Kwinana Freeway has been granted supervised bail, with a court told he plans to fight the allegations.

The teenager was one of two 16-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who was arrested this month after a police dog tracked the pair down to a shed in Cockburn.

It is alleged the boys had been throwing rocks over a fence set up near northbound roadworks at Berrigan Drive, hitting more than a dozen cars and trucks along an 80km/h section of the freeway.

One of the rocks smashed through the windscreen of a Toyota Camry, hitting a front seat passenger in the chest.

The 55-year-old man was taken by ambulance to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Camera IconTwo teenagers have been accused of throwing rocks at more than a dozen cars on the Kwinana Freeway.Picture: WA Police

Both teenagers, who are each charged with 14 counts of committing an unlawful act with intent to harm and 14 counts of criminal damage over the incident, appeared in the Perth Children’s Court today.

One of the boys, from Wellard, who was already on bail for serious charges including aggravated robbery, common assault and criminal damage, had been behind bars at Banksia Hill Juvenile Detention Centre since his January 4 arrest.

But the boy was released after his lawyer, Sophie Manson-Grumley, argued there were “exceptional circumstances” in his case.

Camera IconIn one instance, a rock smashed through the windscreen of a Toyota Camry, striking a front seat passenger in the chest.Picture: WA Police

Ms Manson-Grumley said the boy had a “limited record”, a supportive family and was enrolled in a welding course that started next month.

She said the boy denied throwing rocks, saying he accepted he was “in the vicinity”, behind a building, “but did not know what his co-accused was doing”.

“He came around and saw what he was doing and told him to stop, at which point he says he saw police lights,” she said.

The boy will also deny the rest of the allegations against him, Ms Manson-Grumley said, which the court was told relate to the alleged violent theft of a scooter from a 15-year-old.

Camera IconPolice say the boys had been throwing rocks over a fence set up near northbound roadworks at Berrigan Drive.Picture: WA Police

Ms Manson-Grumley said it was the boy’s first time in custody and he was struggling, adding that while he had been involved in a fight, he was scared and was “putting on a front”.

While prosecutors did not agree the boy’s circumstances were exceptional, Magistrate Catherine Crawford decided to grant him supervised bail, which includes a requirement to abide by a curfew and to leave his house only with an authorised adult.

The boy's co-accused, from Oakford, was released into the care of child protection authorities at an earlier court hearing.

He will appear in court again on March 6 and the Wellard boy will appear in court on February 27.